Dolphins are aquatic animals that children are familiar with. It has inspired countless books and even characters in animation. These animals are extremely intelligent and can be trained.
Allow children to explore the dolphins as they make these ten lovable crafts that keep them entertained while learning about these wonderful animals.
A simple activity that even young children can do, this paper plate dolphin is a great way to teach about shapes and colors. Make several of these in different colors for children to match and learn about patterns.
Cut out a different shape for the tail to teach the basic shapes to children. Use this craft to teach uppercase and lowercase letters. Write the uppercase letter on the dolphin’s tail.
Prepare an extra tail with the lowercase letter on it. Let children find the match.
Paint one paper plate blue and leave it to dry. Next, cut it in half. Take one half-circle and cut it in half to make two quarters. Take one of the two quarters and cut it in half again. Only one of these is needed. Refer to the pictures on the site for these steps.
Take one of the quarter-sized parts and attach it to the end of the half-circle. This part will be the tail. Attach the half-quarter part as the dolphin’s fin on the curved part of the paper plate.
Next, cut out a white circle for the eye and use the marker to make the pupil and the mouth.
For this activity, you will need:
- Paper plate
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Colored paper
- Marker
- Scissors
- Glue
For more information on this activity, go to ThisCraftyFamily.com.
This dolphin craft looks like it came out of the water-themed park. The triangle-carrying dolphin will be a hit for children who love this fascinating animal.
Teach shapes with this craft. Instead of a triangle, use several craft sticks to make other basic shapes, such as squares, rectangles, and diamonds. Change the color of the triangle to teach color recognition to children.
To make this craft, download and print the free dolphin template from the site. Use light blue construction paper to print this. Cut this out and set it aside.
Glue together the three large craft sticks to form a triangle. Once the glue dries, paint it blue. Add another coat of paint if necessary and let it dry. Glue this on the same light blue paper as the template and cut this out.
Next, glue the dolphin parts together and the googly eye. Attach the triangle to the dolphin to complete the craft. Let this dry before using.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed dolphin template
- Large craft sticks
- Scissors
- Glue
- Googly eye
- Construction paper
- Paint
- Paintbrush
For more information on this activity, go to InTheBagKidsCrafts.com.
Great to hang as decors, this dolphin craft provides a sensory experience to children as they scrunch up the tissue paper to fill the template. The site suggests punching a hole in the fin for hanging.
This task will help strengthen children’s finger muscles. Cutting the template and the tissue paper will help improve their fine motor skills.
Teach color hues with this craft. Point out to children that this dolphin is made with two shades of blue, and colors come in different shades. Make several of these for children to use as counters in Math centers.
Download and print the dolphin template from the site. Cut out and trace it on the paper plate. See the picture on the site for this step. Cut out a small triangle from a blue cardstock and attach it to the dolphin.
Next, cut the tissue paper into small pieces and let children scrunch these before gluing on the dolphin. Inform children to glue the darker shade of glue on the upper part of the dolphin and the lighter shade on the bottom part.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed dolphin template
- Blue cardstock
- Paper plate
- Tissue paper in two shades of blue
- Glue
For more information on this activity, go to ActivityVillage.co.uk.
This dolphin puppet is wonderful to use in pretend play areas and for a puppet show. Retell the “Daisy the Dolphin” story by Natalie Pritchard using this puppet to teach children about the troublemaker Daisy, who tried to make good choices.
As children use the puppet, they will recite dialogues, which will help improve their oral language skills.
Use this puppet to teach positional words. As children are holding their dolphins, give descriptions for children to follow, such as “The dolphin swims under the sea.” Children will take their puppets and let them dive down.
Start with painting the paper plate blue. Next, cut out a dolphin shape. Cut out the fin and the tail using the remaining paper plate scraps. No templates are available for this craft. Head over to the site for the pictures on this step.
Assemble the pieces by gluing the fin and tail on the dolphin’s body. Stick the googly eye and attach the drinking straw to the back of the dolphin.
For this activity, you will need:
- Paper plate
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
- Glue
- Googly eye
- Drinking straw
- Sticky tape.
For more information on this activity, go to TheFrugalNavyWife.com.
Teach children the letter D with this adorable dolphin craft swimming in the sea. This craft is a wonderful opportunity for children to practice their cutting skills.
Using foam sheets will provide a challenge for children who are used to cutting paper since it will require more effort and control. This task will help improve their fine motor skills.
Download and print the letter D and the dolphin templates from the site. Cut these out and trace them onto the corresponding color of foam sheets. Use white and blue sheets for the waves, while yellow and white for the sun and clouds.
Use gray and light blue for the dolphin and a dark blue foam sheet for the letter D. Once all the pieces are ready, assemble them by gluing them together. Place the white wave on the letter D. Glue the blue wave on top.
Stick the dolphin on the waves. Attach the googly eye and use a marker to draw the mouth. Attach the underside of the dolphin.
Next, glue the sun and clouds to complete this craft.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed letter D template
- Printed dolphin template
- Craft foam sheets
- Glue
- Scissors
- Marker
- Cardstock
- Googly eye
For more information on this activity, go to TheBaldChick.com. You may also want to check out more letter D activities for preschool kids!
This dolphin craft creates a realistic scene often seen where dolphins abound. This craft is a perfect visual aid for teaching children Science about the dolphin’s behavior, food, habitat, and unique characteristics.
If possible, show children videos showing dolphins jumping and doing other activities. Explain why such behavior occurs.
With this craft, children can enhance their fine motor skills as they trace, cut, and paste to complete the craft. It is also a great way to teach children about color mixing.
Start with painting a light blue construction paper with two shades of blue. Doing this will create depth and texture on the paper. Once the paint dries, cut off the unpainted edges.
Next, glue the painted construction paper on a sky blue cardstock. Stick it two inches from the edge of the cardstock to create the sky effect on the scene.
Next, use the dolphin cookie cutter to trace on a light-colored craft foam. Make several of these. Use a marker to add dots for the eyes.
Cut out and glue on the cardstock in varying heights. Next, take wax paper and cut waves on one end. Stick this on the cardstock using sticky tape to hide the dolphins. Repeat this step but vary the height of the wax paper.
For this activity, you will need:
- Construction paper
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Cardstock
- Craft foam
- Dolphin cookie cutter
- Marker
- Scissors
- Glue
- Wax paper
- Sticky tape
For more information on this activity, go to Craftulate.com.
Turn coffee filters into an eye-popping sun catcher with this craft. This will help children learn more about the animal. Introduce children to paint using watercolors.
This art lesson will help children understand how colors are applied differently than other paint types.
This activity will help children learn to be attentive and mindful of their work. It will also help them learn patience and improve their fine motor skills.
Lay the coffee filter, watercolor paint, and a jar of water on a tray. Have the children dip their paintbrushes and swish them on the paint. Apply the paint to the watercolor. Children may use different colors.
However, the site recommends darker shades as the color lightens once the coffee filter dries. Fill the whole filter with color and let it dry completely.
Next, download and print the free dolphin template from the site. Cut this out and trace it on black construction paper. Cut out and glue on the colored coffee filter. Place this on the window where the sun shines through to appreciate it fully.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed dolphin pattern template
- Coffee filters
- Watercolor paint
- Paintbrush
- Glue
- Scissors
- Black construction paper
- Tray
- Jar with water
For more information on this activity, go to ALittlePinchOfPerfect.com.
Animals like dolphins live and thrive in the ocean with other creatures. Let children explore the deep as they make this craft that showcases the wonderful habitat of dolphins.
This sensory activity will help children improve their fine motor skills through painting, cutting, and pasting. This is a great addition to the ocean-themed center and to use for storytelling.
Make the ocean background by having the children paint the paper plate blue. They may also paint the seashells or leave them in their natural color. While the paint dries, download and print the dolphin template from the site.
Color and cut this out. Glue this on the craft stick and set it aside. Next, complete the scene by attaching the shells. If possible, use available materials to add other details. Add fish, seagrass, and other things to complete the underwater scene.
Use the craft knife to cut a horizontal slit in the middle of the paper plate. Carefully insert the craft stick and have the children hold the stick to move the dolphin puppet.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed dolphin template
- Paper plate
- Craft stick
- Shells
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Craft knife
For more information on this activity, go to Preschool Powol Packets.blogspot.com.
This craft is a great way to recycle those milk cartons meant for trash. With this activity, children will improve their cutting and pasting skills.
This dolphin in the ocean is a great way to teach children positional words. Make a short story using the dolphin as the main character. Incorporate positional words, such as up, down, left, and right, that children can follow using the dolphin on a stick.
Prepare the milk carton by cleaning it thoroughly and letting it dry. Next, using a craft knife, take off the upper part of the box. This will result in a rectangular shape.
Make a slit on the top and bottom parts of the box. This will make it possible to insert the dolphin on the craft stick later. Take a blue construction paper and cut it to size. Wrap it around the box and secure it with sticky tape.
Carefully cut the paper where the carton’s slits are. Cut the brown construction paper with a wavy edge to resemble the bottom of the ocean. Stick this on the milk carton. Cut out some seagrass from the green paper and stick them.
Next, download and print the free dolphin template from the site. Color and cut this out. Color the craft stick blue and stick the dolphin on it. The site suggests using an additional craft stick to lengthen it if it is too short.
Insert the dolphin in the slit, and the children can move it.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed dolphin template
- Milk carton
- Construction paper
- Craft stick
- Glue
- Scissors
- Craft knife
- Sticky tape
- Crayon
For more information on this activity, go to AllKidsNetwork.com.
This wonderful craft will surely delight young children. Create the illusion of a dolphin jumping off the water or into the water, depending on which way the spinner is used.
The children will improve their fine motor skills as they paint, cut, and assemble the craft. This craft is one of the extended activities inspired by the book “Dolphin Adventure” by Wayne Grover.
Start with having the children paint two paper plates. Use a different shade of blue for each one.
Once the paint dries, cut off a quarter from the edge of the paper plate with the lighter blue color. Turn the straight edge by cutting it into wavy lines that resemble the waves of the sea.
The site used a dolphin sticker for this craft. If unavailable, it is recommended to make one, color, and cut. Glue this on the paper plate with a darker shade of blue. Poke a hole in the middle of the paper plates to attach both.
Ensure that the ribbed edges of both paper plates are aligned. Secure these with a brass fastener. Finally, use stickers or let children draw additional details or designs to make their craft unique.
For this activity, you will need:
- Paper plate
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- Brass fastener
- Scissors
- Glue
- Dolphin sticker
For more information on this activity, go to Blog.Sonlight.com.
Conclusion
With several dozens of species, these aquatic mammals are amazingly smart and interesting. Consider using any of the crafts on this list to teach children about these wonderful animals.
Discuss ways to help protect them from threats and their contribution to the marine ecosystem. Use pictures, books, and videos if possible. Doing this will help children make a better connection with the topic.
Thank you for reading!
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